Manufacture of producer-gas.



W. J. OROSSLEY & T. RIGBY.

MANUFACTURE OF PRODUCER GAS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.3, 1907.

926,729. Patented July 6, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

fig.

W/ f/VESSES W. J. GROSSLEY & T. RIGBY.

MANUFACTURE OF PRODUCER GAS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.3,1O7

926,729, Patented July 6, 1909.

3 SHEBTS-SHBET 2.

' Fags.

W. J. CROSSLEY & T. RIGBY. MANUFACTURE OF PRODUCER GAS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.3,1907.

926,729. Patented 6, 1909. SHEET 3.

SSH

AZ/V

producer proper.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM JOHN CROSSLEY, OF OPENSIIAW, MANCHESTER, AND THOMAS RIGBY, OF FAIRFIELD, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

MANUFACTURE OF PRODUCER-GAS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM JOHN (inossmar, of (fros sley Brothers Limited, Opcnshaw, Mz'inchestcr, in the county of Lancaster, England, and THOMAS RIGBY, of The Square, F airfield, Manchester, aforesaid, engineers, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Producer-Gas, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of producer gas and has for its object the manufacture of producer gas free from tar, from fuels containing tarry matter, such as bituminous coal, lignite, peat, wood, etc.

It is mainly intended for the gasification of bituminous coals, most of which cake hard together during the period the volatile matter is beingexpelled from them. As a consequence these caking coals are very difficult to work in an ordinary gas producer, as the caked fuel causes scaffolding and the formation of holes and cavities in the fuel bed.

According to this invention the fuel is -spread as hereinafter described in a layer on a suitable primary combustion device, and the fuel is in the firstplace partially burned and sub'ected to heat in such a manner that the volatile matter is expelled, and the tarry matters contained therein consumed, the resulting heat causing the volatile matter to be expelled from the fresh fuel as it 'is, fed in. (The air supplied for the combustion of the volatile matter given off from the fuel is hereinafter termed the primary air supply). The resultant .from this first process consists mainly of carbon and ash, and when the. fuel so treated is bituminous coal the productis a coke free from tar. This resultant hereinafter called coke is according to our invention passed into the gas The products of matter and primary air will usually be passed either alone, or in conjunction with an additional supply of air through the hot fuel in the gas producer. (This additional supply of air is referred to hereinafter as the secondary air supply). In the result the gas produced is free from tar and most of the heat of the volatile matter is recovered and utilized.

For the better description of the invention Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 3, 1907.

combustion of the volatile Patented July 6, 1909.

Serial No. 386,944.

three sheets of drawings are appended, in which- Fi ure 1 is an elevation. Fig. 2 a see tionsil elevation and Fig. 3 a sectional elevation on the line AB, Fig. 2 of a gas producer specially adapted for gasifying caking bituminous coal according to our invention but for which no claim is made in the present application, as such apparatus form the subject matter of a separate application made by us. Fig. 4 shows the as producer (Figs. 1, 2, 3) fitted with a valve, through which the coke is passed from the primary combustion device into the gas producer proper. Fig. 5 illustrates a gas )roducer for ulpe with fuels which cake slightly or not at a Vhen using bituminous fuel we prefer that the fuel be burned in the first place in a layer, not necessarily either thin or even, but preferably both thin and even, on or in connection with some breaking, stirring, agitating, or like mechanical device to insure constant ignition of the incoming green fuel. When the coal has a tendency to cake on heating we prefer to use a device like a modified mechanical stoker as used in steam boiler practice, and having movable firebars, which not only provides for constant ignition of the incoming green fuel but insures the breaking up of the coke and clinker (if any) to a size suitable for use in a gas producer. Such an arrangement is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the slightly inciined firebars a, being mechanically operated by. cams b, which are arranged alternately at'opposite centers on a rotating shaft 1) so that alternate bars a will be moving in op osite directions, the shaft 7) being driven y worm gearing from a driven shaft 2:. In practice such an arrangement as the foregoing causes the fuel which would otherwise cake together to be constantly agitated so that caking on the moving bars 0. is either prevented or the caked fuel broken up into pieces of suitable size.

At the same time any tendency to blow into re. The gas produced leaves through the gas outlet 9 and is taken-away for use. The fuel is stored in the hopper h and descends by gravity over the coking plate is, the function of which is to cake the green fuel somewhat by means of the heat of the primary combustion gases before descending to the firebars a. The heat developed in and above the'la'yer n should generally be sufficient to cause com'- lete decomposition of the volatile matter but not necessarilyso. The ashes produced are taken away as required through the water lute m at the foot of the producer.

As the products of the primary combustion are passed through the gas producer, any hydro'carb on which would otherwise produce tar is completely decomposed or converted by the second combustion.

It will be seen that the depth fromthe firebars a to the gas outlet g is'shown greater than the depth from the lower grate d to'the gas outlet and this is so arranged to prevent short circuiting and insure that all or most of the primary combustion gases will pass by way of the flue c and the grate d to and through the gas producer proper. This short circuiting may be prevented in other ways as for example, as shown in Fig. 4 which is the same arrangement as that illustrated by Figs. 1 2 and 3 except that avalve f is shown placed between the primary combustion device and the gas producer proper for the purpose of preventing the gaseous products of combustion from the former passing into the producer by any channel except the flue c. The valvefis rotated or otherwise operated either continuously or intermittingly, and is so arranged as to allow the assage of fuel into the producer while bloclfing the flow of the gaseous products.

With some fuels we find it advanta eous to pass secondary air or steam throug the fire separate and apart from the main current of primary combustion gases and if so desired. we may arrange for the primary combustion; ases and the secondary air or steam to pass t irough the gas producer either separately or in any combination of gas, air and steam and in any direction to and through the gas producer.

We wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the use of such an apparatus as that illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and fpassing througlrthe grate d and entering the 3 but mayuseany suitable mechanical device, operated either intermittingly' or continuously, which will effect the urpose of kee ing the incoming green fue l continuous y ignited or willse arately or simult'a-' neously break up the colie or clinker (if any) produced, to'a size suitable for use'in a gas producer, either during or after rimary combustion and before entrance-tot e zone or zones wherein the fuel is finally converted into producer gas. When caking fuel is not being used it is not always advisable to provide'a-device for breaking-u the coke roduced by the primary com ustion an in some caseswe prefer to provide a continuous or intermittent mechanical feeding a liance which may be arranged inany suitaff manner to insurethatalayer of fuel'is continu ously subjected to heat and primarycombus- Q tion and that continuous ignition of the in coming green fuel is obtained Such ame-i chanical feeding appliance may be used either alone or incon unction with an agitat ing mechanical device as .hereinbefore mentioned. Fig. 5 shows an arran ement of such a gas producer in which the re bars a,

are-stationary and the fuel from the hopper w h is fed forward by the action of a reciprocating pusher p fitted'in a guide 0 and driven by an arm g from an eccentric s on a rotating shaft 8 or by any other suitable driving gear. g

It is obvious that a great many arrangements might be made in which the fuel could either be pushed or drawn on to the primary combustion device and we-wishit'to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the use of such an apparatus asthat shown in Fig. 5 but may use any intermittent or continuous mechanical feedin v device arranged in any manner desirab e'which' will effect the same purpose as is intended by that shown in Fig. 5, i. e., that the fuel be fed on or into the primary combustion rate or support in such a manner that the ayer of fue is kept free from blow holes or ine ualties during the riinary combustion w ile insuring the continuous ignition of the green fuel as it enters the primary combustion device. r

Itwill be seenthat in both arrangements Figs. 1, 2 and3 and Fig. 5 the gasproducer is arranged in such a manner that the path of least resistance for the primary air and products of combustion is clearly defined; but in some cases it is not convenient to so arrange the gas-producer and we then-arrange for it to be constructed asillustrated in Fig. 4. coke as discharged from the primary combustion device is in this arrangement Fig. 4 delivered to the valvef, the function of this valve being to distribute the coke to the gas producer proper. The valve may be opened at intervals to discharge the coke produced It should be understood thatthe or it may be continuously operated in such a manner that coke is constantly being discharged into the gas producer.

The products of the primary combustion pass in the usual manner either alone or with secondary air, steam or other gases in any desirable direction or combination to and through the gas roduccr but usually by way of the flue c {LIN grate (Z the gas leaving the gas producer at the gas outlet 1. In all cases the primary air supply may be passed either through and in contact with the layer of fuel on the primary combustion device.

i/Vith fuels which fuse readily we find it dosirable to admit steam with the primary air supply to red ucc the temperature of the fire, with a view to preventing the formation of clinker which might otherwise be formed in inconvenient quantities.

The exhaust gases of a gas engine or the products of combustion of a furnace may be used if so desired either alone or mixed with air or air and steam to effect the same pur ose as that for which the primary air supp y is intended.

The gas producer may be worked under pressure or suction but we preferably arrange it to work by suction in such a manner that the aspiration at the gas outlet pipe of the producer will draw the primary air through the primary combustion device andin addition, if desirable, secondary air, steam or other gases to and through the producer in any direction or combination.

Any moisture con! a ined in the fuel is evaporated in the first place in the primary combustion device and passed with the products of combustion to the gas producer, so that a certain quantity of steam is present in the mixture entering the gas producer from this source and in addition, there is usually present the steam produced by combustion of the volatile matter. 'Vith some fuels this steam would be sufficient but with others extra steam is required which can be raised by any desirable means either from auxiliary sources or from the heat of the producer or the gases leaving the producer. In some cases especially when the gas from the producer is to be used for heating purposes we find. it advantageous to feed water into the fuel entering the gas producer and this is evaporated on the primary combustion device and the steam produced passes over with the products of combustion to and through the gas producer.

It will be understood that the quantity of the volatile matter a fuel contains determines more or less to what extent the fuel is burned during primary combustion and the quantity of secondary air required to complete combustion also depends on the amount of carbon left in the coke.

With some fuels we arrange the depth of the layer in such a manner that all the atmospheric oxygen entering the producer passes through the primary combustion device in the first place and through the coke in the gas producer in the second place. In the result the fuel is mostly consumed to CO and steam in the first place and passes as part of the products of combustion into the coke in the gas producer, there taking up the extra carbon required to convert the CO, to CO and providing the necessary carbon surface for the decomposition of the steam.

We have found it desirable with fuels containing small proportions of fixed carbon that care be taken that the primary combustion be not carried too far or else there will not be sul'iicicnt carbon left in the coke to insure the production of a proper quality of producer gas and we prefer generally that the depth of the layer on the primary combustion device shall be such that a maximum proportion of CO, with little or no excess of oxygen is obtained in the region of primary combustion. It is obviously desirable to lose as little of the sensible heat of the primary combustion gases as possible and in small producers owing to the greater proportionate radiation we have found it advisable to limit the quantity of primary air to such an extent that some combustible gases are carried over in the primary combustion gases.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The process of manufacturing producer gas consisting in subjecting the fuel to a primary combustion while being mechanically agitated, continuously and automatically passing the resultant coke to the gas producer proper and passing the primary products of combustion through the coke in the gas producer.

2. In the manufacture of producer gas, the process which consists of burning the fuel in the first place and simultaneously breaking, stirring, agitating and feeding the resultant coke free from tar and in pieces of a suitable and uniform size into the gas producer proper, and the passage of the gaseous products of primary combustion with a secondary air supply to and through the coke in the gas producer proper for the production of gas of suitable quality and free from tar substan tially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\VILLIAM JOHN CROSSLEY. THOMAS RIGBY.

Witnesses:

PnRoY E. MATTooKs, WM. 0. BROWN. 

